Johan Hermans has been growing and studying orchids for over twenty years. His photographs of orchids and other wildlife have been published widely, and he has written and lectured on various orchid-related subjects such as the genus Dracula, Pleurothallidinae, and the orchids of Madagascar. He is also credited with describing several new orchid species. An Honorary Research Associate of The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, he has received five Gold Medals at the World Orchid Conferences and garnered nearly 100 awards from the Royal Horticultural Society Orchid Committee.